Some border adjustments on the Italian-Austrian border, maybe hegemony over Yugoslavia, and the rest of Austria to be a puppet state.
Trapped Fox, a WW2 TL
- Thread starter CrimsonCosmonaut
- Start date
- Status
Death of Nordkommand
While the Eastern Front was erupting into chaos, operations were occurring in Norway. After the destruction of an entire division at Narvik, the Norwegians had stabilized the line north of Narvik and had been preparing to retake the city of Trondheim. Despite the lack of German forces in Norway, the tight bottleneck from the coastline to the Swedish border allowed Nordkommand the ability to hold against allied operations with relative ease. Now, however, the Germans had pulled almost all air support to the region, deeming it as unimportant in the face of the Red Army advance, and consistent bombing raids from the RAF. The Norwegian armed forces amassed towards Trondheim, as if Trondheim could be captured, Central Norway would be open to Allied advance, and Norway would be set on the path towards liberation. Thus, the military prepared a combined arms operation. The generalcy wished to launch a pincer maneuver to capture Trondheim, however, the admiralcy successfully petitioned to have a marine force to assist in the operation, to secure success. Due to the weak state of the Norwegian navy at the time, however, the admiralcy's plans relied solely on the assistance of the British. Luckily, waves of commonwealth troops were arriving in Britain, and nearly a division's worth of Royal Marines was awaiting orders in Britain. The Norwegian government was more than happy to jump on the opportunity to inherit control of the forces to be used in their operation. The Norwegian military would gain Canadian troops and a Royal Marine force and would use them to their best effort. Escorted by the HMS Formidable, Operation Odinfear, if not overly dramatic, would be the name of the titanic combined effort of the entire remnant fleet of the Norwegian Navy, large sections of the Royal Navy, all aspects of the Norwegian offensive army, thousands of Canadian troops, and the best of the elite Royal Marines, along with the brave effort of the Polish remnant fleet, and a Polish volunteer corps. Standing against them was a German artillery battalion, a motorized brigade, and nearly 3 German divisions, among them an entire mountaineer division, all crack troops, the best Nordkommand would have to offer. The operation would be launched on the 16th, after a colossal effort to hide the massive troop movements needed for the operation, the Allied offensive was ready.
Norwegian advance, Trondheim (February 19th, 1941)
View attachment 521398
The battle of Trondheim would be a slow and steady one. Royal Marines would land at the gates of the Trondheim Fjord on the 14th, to be met by prepared German defenses. To the panic of the Allied command, Nordkommand had found out about the plans of the Allies and had moved there forces to meet them. Escorted by carrier operations and destroyers, however, the Germans could do little along the beachheads, although the rugged hills just south and north of the beaches would be used to pin the Marines in place. Canadian forces would pour into the beaches, while civilians and soldiers alike would commence quick construction of ports to allow supply boats to arrive. Local islands would be occupied, Hitra island retaken, Lensvik would be secured, and after a handful of days of fierce fighting, with trench warfare that made many panic in the face of a possible Gallipoli, the Trondheim Fjord was secure.
However, much larger combat was being undertaken on the overland route to Trondheim. Engaged in fierce trench warfare, Norwegians fought tooth and nail to take ground, with the Germans similarly making the Allied advance bleed for every inch. The spring thaw came early and destroyed much of the Norwegian advance, still, they pressed on, determined to liberate their home country, while Polish battalions knew this combat would bring them one step closer to liberation. As the battle progressed, even the Soviet Union would offer an entire division’s worth of troops to the Norwegians, who would take the soldiers freely. Battle-hardened by experience in the Winter War, these units would be employed by the allies as reserves to achieve breakthroughs, while German forces, despite being incredibly outnumbered, dealt blow after blow to the Allies, who fought ferociously at Stordal, unrelenting in their advance. Carrier support would achieve large scale success, while Polish manned destroyers would assist in the Marine landings, and it was eventually Allied air supremacy that won the day. The German line could only hold for so long, after weeks of intense Somme like fighting, the Norwegians liberated Stordal, all the while, the demoralized Germans would have to continuously retreat, their line threatening to snap. Nordkommand soon retaliated, however, after scrounging up forces from other parts of Norway, had attacked with an armored train. The allies almost completely lacked anti-tank equipment, and Reichenau achieved a breakthrough. Accompanied by collaborationist battalions, the Germans saw massive success, reversing much of the hard work the Allies had fought for, creating intense demoralization within the Allied force. However, the Allies’ fate was just about to change, with the entry of a new player into the campaign.
Sweden’s policy of neutrality was not something broken lightly. Even as Denmark and Norway were collapsing, as the screams of dying men could be heard loud and clear by border guards, as tens of thousands of refugees poured into its country, Sweden hoped to maintain some resemblance of neutrality. The Finno-Soviet war saw tacit Swedish support on the side of the Finns, even sending over a volunteer force. However, the chaos of war was something Sweden hoped it could simply kindly ignore, as it had done the last war. However, too many on the Swedish side, their loyalties lie on either side of the war. The pivotal Swedish position, as a supplier of a vast array of material to the Axis war effort, could not be ignored, and the convergence of Allied and Axis troops along their port side flank couldn’t be ignored for long. The Swedish government had ordered a partial mobilization along the entire border, hoping to suggest a neutral stance. However when German troops ran, throwing their weapons down in front of the Swedish army, Allied forces hot on their heels, the Swedes would make the decisive decision to hand over German POWs to Allied command. This would firmly place the Swedes in the Allied bloc, and after the Soviet declaration of war on Germany, Swedish war planners determined the Reich would lose the war soon. The reports of the Lublin front would convince the Swedes that the German army had snapped, and Sweden didn’t want to be seen on the wrong side of the war. Still, the Swedish government relied economically on trade with the Germans, as exports were a key part of the Swedish economy. This wouldn’t stop the vast majority of the populous quickly turning a pro-Allied stance. While the Swedes held little support for the Soviet Union, the western allies remained largely popular with many in the population, and leftist pragmatists could rally around anti-nazism to garner public support. And while the battle of Trondheim was raging, Swedish border guards could little see and hear warfare, just across their border. Soldiers stood as their imaginary line in the dirt stopped them as cannons roared, and orders barking back and forth occurred. Due to the battle, the Swedish government had moved what armor columns it had to the area, to reinforce the line and prevent spillover. All while the battle was raging, anti-fascist international brigades had gathered in Sweden, hoping to move into Norway and fight against the Germans. Swedish forces would encounter the volunteers, and many Swedish soldiers reportedly overwhelmed with Scandinavian patriotism and camaraderie with their Norwegian brothers, crossed the border. In a monumental movement, Swedish soldiers crossed the border. The Swamped Swedish commander was pulled into the tide of the Swedish mutineers, and soon ordered a total crossing of the border, with over 2 Swedish divisions and multiple armored columns moving through into German-occupied Norway. While this action was completely illegal, when the news reached Stockholm, many cheered, and pan Scandinavian marches would occur. The firmly neutral government was willing to act, however nearly all allied party had already applauded Sweden, and the king expressed his support for the Swedish volunteers, soon joined by international brigades crossing the border. And so the government quietly tried to ignore the incident, giving radio silence to Ribbentrop, while calmly letting multiple Swedish divisions directly intervene in a conflict Sweden wasn’t in, and nobody in the Swedish government wished to be assumed a German sympathizer, and face potential soviet-allied wrath.
Due to the chaotic intervention of Swedish forces, many Norwegians were confused upon witnessing Swedish columns and some Allied troops mistook the Swedes for Germans, causing firefights. However quick radios from panicked Swedish officers, and delivering over 2,000 confused German POWs to Allied command, would convince the Allies that the quickly intervening Swedes were on their side. The Allies would have another stroke of luck, when the German armored train broke down, and was soon surrounded and the crewmembers surrendered. The Allies also began reigning in their forces and were to launch another major offensive, however, they hadn't need to, as Reichenau ordered a total retreat from the area. Modern historians agree that even without the Swedish intervention, the Allies would have won as Trondheim, however, the Swedish forces had expedited the Allied victory. Remaining German forces would be trapped at Trondheim and annihilated, while the Germans would surrender all positions north, and the Norwegians were in a position to liberate their whole homeland. The victory was a much-needed triumph for all. The beachheads had battle-hardened several Royal Marines and would be an important moment in Canadian and Scandinavian history. The Swedish forces would be reorganized into the Scandinavian Legion, placed under the command of the Norwegian army, and the Swedish government would pay for and supply the army, on the laurels of the Allies, who would supply the Swedish government with hundreds of thousands of funds and hundreds of military equipment to be armed to the Scandinavian Legion, effectively the Swedish indirect intervention into the war. While this action infuriated Germany, however, the German government could do little in the face of the Swedish army, going to war with one of their most vital trading partners, would be suicide, especially as Germany lacked the reserves necessary to be deployed to Norway. With the fall of the North, the disintegration of large sections of Nordkommand's forces, and a completely reinvigorated Allied force, now joined by new, fresh foreign units, and now having to cope with fears of a Swedish invasion, Germany would begin drafting plans for an evacuation of Norway. Meanwhile, the Swedes would meet with Anthony Eden to discuss Swedish total intervention in the war. Sweden promised Britain it would join the Allies, only if the threat of German bombing and/or invasion was an absolute zero, an obvious prerequisite would be the liberation of Norway, promising them the Aland Isles, after Finland disappointed Sweden by not handing them over as a reward for their volunteer to them in the Winter War, and that Swedish shipping lanes would be secure, all the while Molotov would agree to promise that if the Swedes entered the war against Germany, the Soviet Union would match them for every cent lost.
Meanwhile, Germany had other concerns. Romania was collapsing, and the German total defeat was only just beginning...
Norwegian advance, Trondheim (February 19th, 1941)
View attachment 521398
The battle of Trondheim would be a slow and steady one. Royal Marines would land at the gates of the Trondheim Fjord on the 14th, to be met by prepared German defenses. To the panic of the Allied command, Nordkommand had found out about the plans of the Allies and had moved there forces to meet them. Escorted by carrier operations and destroyers, however, the Germans could do little along the beachheads, although the rugged hills just south and north of the beaches would be used to pin the Marines in place. Canadian forces would pour into the beaches, while civilians and soldiers alike would commence quick construction of ports to allow supply boats to arrive. Local islands would be occupied, Hitra island retaken, Lensvik would be secured, and after a handful of days of fierce fighting, with trench warfare that made many panic in the face of a possible Gallipoli, the Trondheim Fjord was secure.
However, much larger combat was being undertaken on the overland route to Trondheim. Engaged in fierce trench warfare, Norwegians fought tooth and nail to take ground, with the Germans similarly making the Allied advance bleed for every inch. The spring thaw came early and destroyed much of the Norwegian advance, still, they pressed on, determined to liberate their home country, while Polish battalions knew this combat would bring them one step closer to liberation. As the battle progressed, even the Soviet Union would offer an entire division’s worth of troops to the Norwegians, who would take the soldiers freely. Battle-hardened by experience in the Winter War, these units would be employed by the allies as reserves to achieve breakthroughs, while German forces, despite being incredibly outnumbered, dealt blow after blow to the Allies, who fought ferociously at Stordal, unrelenting in their advance. Carrier support would achieve large scale success, while Polish manned destroyers would assist in the Marine landings, and it was eventually Allied air supremacy that won the day. The German line could only hold for so long, after weeks of intense Somme like fighting, the Norwegians liberated Stordal, all the while, the demoralized Germans would have to continuously retreat, their line threatening to snap. Nordkommand soon retaliated, however, after scrounging up forces from other parts of Norway, had attacked with an armored train. The allies almost completely lacked anti-tank equipment, and Reichenau achieved a breakthrough. Accompanied by collaborationist battalions, the Germans saw massive success, reversing much of the hard work the Allies had fought for, creating intense demoralization within the Allied force. However, the Allies’ fate was just about to change, with the entry of a new player into the campaign.
Sweden’s policy of neutrality was not something broken lightly. Even as Denmark and Norway were collapsing, as the screams of dying men could be heard loud and clear by border guards, as tens of thousands of refugees poured into its country, Sweden hoped to maintain some resemblance of neutrality. The Finno-Soviet war saw tacit Swedish support on the side of the Finns, even sending over a volunteer force. However, the chaos of war was something Sweden hoped it could simply kindly ignore, as it had done the last war. However, too many on the Swedish side, their loyalties lie on either side of the war. The pivotal Swedish position, as a supplier of a vast array of material to the Axis war effort, could not be ignored, and the convergence of Allied and Axis troops along their port side flank couldn’t be ignored for long. The Swedish government had ordered a partial mobilization along the entire border, hoping to suggest a neutral stance. However when German troops ran, throwing their weapons down in front of the Swedish army, Allied forces hot on their heels, the Swedes would make the decisive decision to hand over German POWs to Allied command. This would firmly place the Swedes in the Allied bloc, and after the Soviet declaration of war on Germany, Swedish war planners determined the Reich would lose the war soon. The reports of the Lublin front would convince the Swedes that the German army had snapped, and Sweden didn’t want to be seen on the wrong side of the war. Still, the Swedish government relied economically on trade with the Germans, as exports were a key part of the Swedish economy. This wouldn’t stop the vast majority of the populous quickly turning a pro-Allied stance. While the Swedes held little support for the Soviet Union, the western allies remained largely popular with many in the population, and leftist pragmatists could rally around anti-nazism to garner public support. And while the battle of Trondheim was raging, Swedish border guards could little see and hear warfare, just across their border. Soldiers stood as their imaginary line in the dirt stopped them as cannons roared, and orders barking back and forth occurred. Due to the battle, the Swedish government had moved what armor columns it had to the area, to reinforce the line and prevent spillover. All while the battle was raging, anti-fascist international brigades had gathered in Sweden, hoping to move into Norway and fight against the Germans. Swedish forces would encounter the volunteers, and many Swedish soldiers reportedly overwhelmed with Scandinavian patriotism and camaraderie with their Norwegian brothers, crossed the border. In a monumental movement, Swedish soldiers crossed the border. The Swamped Swedish commander was pulled into the tide of the Swedish mutineers, and soon ordered a total crossing of the border, with over 2 Swedish divisions and multiple armored columns moving through into German-occupied Norway. While this action was completely illegal, when the news reached Stockholm, many cheered, and pan Scandinavian marches would occur. The firmly neutral government was willing to act, however nearly all allied party had already applauded Sweden, and the king expressed his support for the Swedish volunteers, soon joined by international brigades crossing the border. And so the government quietly tried to ignore the incident, giving radio silence to Ribbentrop, while calmly letting multiple Swedish divisions directly intervene in a conflict Sweden wasn’t in, and nobody in the Swedish government wished to be assumed a German sympathizer, and face potential soviet-allied wrath.
Due to the chaotic intervention of Swedish forces, many Norwegians were confused upon witnessing Swedish columns and some Allied troops mistook the Swedes for Germans, causing firefights. However quick radios from panicked Swedish officers, and delivering over 2,000 confused German POWs to Allied command, would convince the Allies that the quickly intervening Swedes were on their side. The Allies would have another stroke of luck, when the German armored train broke down, and was soon surrounded and the crewmembers surrendered. The Allies also began reigning in their forces and were to launch another major offensive, however, they hadn't need to, as Reichenau ordered a total retreat from the area. Modern historians agree that even without the Swedish intervention, the Allies would have won as Trondheim, however, the Swedish forces had expedited the Allied victory. Remaining German forces would be trapped at Trondheim and annihilated, while the Germans would surrender all positions north, and the Norwegians were in a position to liberate their whole homeland. The victory was a much-needed triumph for all. The beachheads had battle-hardened several Royal Marines and would be an important moment in Canadian and Scandinavian history. The Swedish forces would be reorganized into the Scandinavian Legion, placed under the command of the Norwegian army, and the Swedish government would pay for and supply the army, on the laurels of the Allies, who would supply the Swedish government with hundreds of thousands of funds and hundreds of military equipment to be armed to the Scandinavian Legion, effectively the Swedish indirect intervention into the war. While this action infuriated Germany, however, the German government could do little in the face of the Swedish army, going to war with one of their most vital trading partners, would be suicide, especially as Germany lacked the reserves necessary to be deployed to Norway. With the fall of the North, the disintegration of large sections of Nordkommand's forces, and a completely reinvigorated Allied force, now joined by new, fresh foreign units, and now having to cope with fears of a Swedish invasion, Germany would begin drafting plans for an evacuation of Norway. Meanwhile, the Swedes would meet with Anthony Eden to discuss Swedish total intervention in the war. Sweden promised Britain it would join the Allies, only if the threat of German bombing and/or invasion was an absolute zero, an obvious prerequisite would be the liberation of Norway, promising them the Aland Isles, after Finland disappointed Sweden by not handing them over as a reward for their volunteer to them in the Winter War, and that Swedish shipping lanes would be secure, all the while Molotov would agree to promise that if the Swedes entered the war against Germany, the Soviet Union would match them for every cent lost.
Meanwhile, Germany had other concerns. Romania was collapsing, and the German total defeat was only just beginning...
Post-war neo-Nazism will not be as widespread I think due to Germany’s poor performance here militarily. There are no grand victories like the Fall of France or the early months of Operation Barbarossa. While neo-Nazism will be around in some form I’m sure, especially amongst hypernationalist and racist circles, the more dominant right-wing of the political spectrum will be dominated by Italian Fascism and German National Socialism.
But with the Nazis unable to carry out the Final Solution or occupy countries on such a large scale for as long as they did in OTL you could see some openly Nazi/Nazi-esque political parties throughout the world. Possibly in whatever Germany becomes post-war.
Speaking of a post-war Germany, would they go the democratic republic or communist system (depending on who wins) or do you think they’d invite Wilhelm III to act as kaiser of a Second German Empire? I’m thinking it would be a constitutional monarchy.
What do you think?
But with the Nazis unable to carry out the Final Solution or occupy countries on such a large scale for as long as they did in OTL you could see some openly Nazi/Nazi-esque political parties throughout the world. Possibly in whatever Germany becomes post-war.
Speaking of a post-war Germany, would they go the democratic republic or communist system (depending on who wins) or do you think they’d invite Wilhelm III to act as kaiser of a Second German Empire? I’m thinking it would be a constitutional monarchy.
What do you think?
Neo-Nazism, and fascism in general, is going to be much weaker, although de-Nazification might not be too much of a priority with a seemingly less dangerous right-wing. Expect the Soviets to go a bit easier on Germany, I would say.
Without the Nazis being seen as much of a threat, there will be nations that might see a rise in nationalist rhetoric. In terms of most radically close to fascism, it might be
. Also yes, that is Mao mucking around up there, the borders aren't 100% established, though.I haven’t thought about it too much, although, I know the Allies probably won't be placing a monarchy in charge. The division might happen as per OTL, I don't have much planned after VE-day
Otherwise, expect an update on the Meditteranean soon.
Escalating Events
Well, that was way longer than “soon”.😐
while chaos raged in Scandinavia, the Greco-Italian War had seen a series of changes. Determined to not lose to a secondary power, Mussolini had deployed massive reinforcements to Albania, and had sent large sections of her fleet to enact a total blockade, aggressively preying on Greek shipping. On the land front,Mussolini organized a three pronged offensive, one, which would push through Epirus Mountains and cut off Thessaly from Athens, another to clear out west Epirus plain and prepare for a marine invasion of Corfu, and another assault to take Thessaloniki, and convince Bulgaria to enter the war. In essence, advance in all directions. The Greeks had assembled large scale defensive lines across the front in the months until the Italian attack, however the severity of the Italian attack led to a breakthrough after intense losses on Italy’s side, despite air superiority, entire divisions were disintegrated as they rammed the Greek line. Still, the Italians saw steady gains, Epirus providing the most success, overrunning much of the region and isolating Corfu. The offensive through the mountains was slower, with fierce fighting and resistance crippling supply routes, and the sheer number of Italian divisions having clogged supply lines. Thessaloniki was another matter. The offensive was a near complete disaster, Greek counter attacks having brought the Italian army there to it’s knees. Only Mussolini’s own numerical superiority and will to sacrifice allowed Italy to steadily break the strong Greek line. Intense usage of artillery, armor and air were observed during the war, and Allied commanders would refine Italy’s strategy to devastating effect in the future offensives. Nevertheless, as Italy approached Thessaloniki, foreign powers would make up their mind. The death of dictator Metaxas had thrown Greece into chaos, and many feared an Italian victory in the conflict.
The United Kingdom had vested interest in Greece. Similar to Belgium, the UK chose Greece as one of it’s few outlets into the continent, and has fiercely defended Greece in the previous war. While a war with Italy was nothing to enjoy contemplating, the recent Italian breakthroughs and Greek political instability had thrown enough British war planners into enough disarray to bring the issue to Churchill. As the Hellenes were close allies of the British, and continued Italian expansion could extend into Yugoslavia, and maybe even Turkey, Churchill understood the danger of an ever-growing Italian empire, that, if strong enough, could turn the tide of the war. Many suggested the best course of action would be to prolong the Greco-Italian conflict for as long as possible, as to keep Mussolini distracted. Once the Greek line was broken, however, it became clear that a quagmire couldn’t last. And thus, the British decided to act, deploying three divisions originally stationed in Egypt to protect from a possible Italian invasion to Greece. The new Greek government, under Alexander Koryzis, desperately needed foreign support. The British decided the best course of action would be to military occupy Thessaloniki and the sorrounding area, effectively cutting off both Italy and Greece from Thrace. It was believed that an ostensibly neutral British presence in the area would deter an Italian invasion of Thessaloniki, and with Entente boots on the ground right at the Bulgarian border, it would free up significant Greek forces to the defense of Thessaly and Epirus. The Greek government nominally protested from the maneuver, and Mussolini denounced the British for intervening, but refused to aggress the British government, for fear of sparking a Meditteranean war, as Mussolini hoped to keep Greece isolated, and his own country away from the ever increasing catastrophe that was the Axis war situation. The Bulgarian government was mostly silent on matters, more so because they were relieved.
While some in the Bulgarian government had wanted to intervene against Greece from the beginning, the government stayed wary, especially as it was clear Greece wouldn’t go down without a fight, and the stagnant albatross that was the Salonica front was in recent memory. Furthermore, the Soviet advance into Romania and breach into Walachia was a point of concern. Despite Bulgaria warming up to Russia, the Bulgarian government was unsure of Molotov’s intentions, and increased socialist activity in the country had increased fears of the Soviets attempting to “liberate” the Bulgarian proletariat. As such, Bulgaria hoped to keep it’s main army on the Romanian-Bulgarian border, steady to defend itself from a Soviet incursion. However, a large portion of the army still wished to invade and conquer Thrace. The arrival of the British was welcome within the civilian government, however, as an invasion of Thrace would surely spark war with the Entente, and give more justification for a Soviet invasion. And while Italy promised Bulgarian irredentist claims in Yugoslavia, Greece and Turkey, recent Italian blunders and increased Entente presence in the Balkans placed Mussolini’s capabilities to enforce his claims as questionable at best. And thus the Bulgarian government decided to once again declare staunch neutrality, reassuring the world it’s intentions to passively watch as the world tore itself apart.
Just north of Greece, political machinations were occurring in Yugoslavia. As the last standing member of the little entente, the secondary power found itself flanked by all sides as it watched it’s Balkan and central European neighbors descend into madness. And Yugoslavia wasn’t completely safe, either. Mussolini’s back and forth policy of either attempting to ally the Slavic state, or to destroy and partition it had left Yugoslav foreign policy in shambles. Recent Croat independence maneuvers had placed strain on Yugoslav internal governance, however Yugoslavia had been able to placate the other ethnic groups for now. The Yugoslav military also felt the burn of political division. In terms of military strategies, pro German and Italian blocs wanted the army directed against Hungary and Romania, as a military buffer against the advancing Soviet army. However not even anti-fascist blocs were unified. Soviet sympathizers openly stated how the Entente hadn’t defended Greece or held up their end of the Balkan Alliance, and that France and Britain wouldn’t defend Yugoslavia from an Italian or German invasion. The British intervention in Greece, giving Yugoslav chorded guards contact with British troops had, however, allowed the pro-Entente bloc more authority, convinced Yugoslav war planning to take an anti-Italian stance. Yugoslav entered mobilization against the Italian border, however the civilian government refused to enter into a conflict that had not directly involved Yugoslavia. And as such, the Yugoslavs would stand guard, reminding Mussolini that world eyes were firmly on him.
Sorry for the long delay, managing life stress and trying to overcome writer’s block, but I’m gonna try to get some more posts out in a more reasonable time.
while chaos raged in Scandinavia, the Greco-Italian War had seen a series of changes. Determined to not lose to a secondary power, Mussolini had deployed massive reinforcements to Albania, and had sent large sections of her fleet to enact a total blockade, aggressively preying on Greek shipping. On the land front,Mussolini organized a three pronged offensive, one, which would push through Epirus Mountains and cut off Thessaly from Athens, another to clear out west Epirus plain and prepare for a marine invasion of Corfu, and another assault to take Thessaloniki, and convince Bulgaria to enter the war. In essence, advance in all directions. The Greeks had assembled large scale defensive lines across the front in the months until the Italian attack, however the severity of the Italian attack led to a breakthrough after intense losses on Italy’s side, despite air superiority, entire divisions were disintegrated as they rammed the Greek line. Still, the Italians saw steady gains, Epirus providing the most success, overrunning much of the region and isolating Corfu. The offensive through the mountains was slower, with fierce fighting and resistance crippling supply routes, and the sheer number of Italian divisions having clogged supply lines. Thessaloniki was another matter. The offensive was a near complete disaster, Greek counter attacks having brought the Italian army there to it’s knees. Only Mussolini’s own numerical superiority and will to sacrifice allowed Italy to steadily break the strong Greek line. Intense usage of artillery, armor and air were observed during the war, and Allied commanders would refine Italy’s strategy to devastating effect in the future offensives. Nevertheless, as Italy approached Thessaloniki, foreign powers would make up their mind. The death of dictator Metaxas had thrown Greece into chaos, and many feared an Italian victory in the conflict.
The United Kingdom had vested interest in Greece. Similar to Belgium, the UK chose Greece as one of it’s few outlets into the continent, and has fiercely defended Greece in the previous war. While a war with Italy was nothing to enjoy contemplating, the recent Italian breakthroughs and Greek political instability had thrown enough British war planners into enough disarray to bring the issue to Churchill. As the Hellenes were close allies of the British, and continued Italian expansion could extend into Yugoslavia, and maybe even Turkey, Churchill understood the danger of an ever-growing Italian empire, that, if strong enough, could turn the tide of the war. Many suggested the best course of action would be to prolong the Greco-Italian conflict for as long as possible, as to keep Mussolini distracted. Once the Greek line was broken, however, it became clear that a quagmire couldn’t last. And thus, the British decided to act, deploying three divisions originally stationed in Egypt to protect from a possible Italian invasion to Greece. The new Greek government, under Alexander Koryzis, desperately needed foreign support. The British decided the best course of action would be to military occupy Thessaloniki and the sorrounding area, effectively cutting off both Italy and Greece from Thrace. It was believed that an ostensibly neutral British presence in the area would deter an Italian invasion of Thessaloniki, and with Entente boots on the ground right at the Bulgarian border, it would free up significant Greek forces to the defense of Thessaly and Epirus. The Greek government nominally protested from the maneuver, and Mussolini denounced the British for intervening, but refused to aggress the British government, for fear of sparking a Meditteranean war, as Mussolini hoped to keep Greece isolated, and his own country away from the ever increasing catastrophe that was the Axis war situation. The Bulgarian government was mostly silent on matters, more so because they were relieved.
While some in the Bulgarian government had wanted to intervene against Greece from the beginning, the government stayed wary, especially as it was clear Greece wouldn’t go down without a fight, and the stagnant albatross that was the Salonica front was in recent memory. Furthermore, the Soviet advance into Romania and breach into Walachia was a point of concern. Despite Bulgaria warming up to Russia, the Bulgarian government was unsure of Molotov’s intentions, and increased socialist activity in the country had increased fears of the Soviets attempting to “liberate” the Bulgarian proletariat. As such, Bulgaria hoped to keep it’s main army on the Romanian-Bulgarian border, steady to defend itself from a Soviet incursion. However, a large portion of the army still wished to invade and conquer Thrace. The arrival of the British was welcome within the civilian government, however, as an invasion of Thrace would surely spark war with the Entente, and give more justification for a Soviet invasion. And while Italy promised Bulgarian irredentist claims in Yugoslavia, Greece and Turkey, recent Italian blunders and increased Entente presence in the Balkans placed Mussolini’s capabilities to enforce his claims as questionable at best. And thus the Bulgarian government decided to once again declare staunch neutrality, reassuring the world it’s intentions to passively watch as the world tore itself apart.
Just north of Greece, political machinations were occurring in Yugoslavia. As the last standing member of the little entente, the secondary power found itself flanked by all sides as it watched it’s Balkan and central European neighbors descend into madness. And Yugoslavia wasn’t completely safe, either. Mussolini’s back and forth policy of either attempting to ally the Slavic state, or to destroy and partition it had left Yugoslav foreign policy in shambles. Recent Croat independence maneuvers had placed strain on Yugoslav internal governance, however Yugoslavia had been able to placate the other ethnic groups for now. The Yugoslav military also felt the burn of political division. In terms of military strategies, pro German and Italian blocs wanted the army directed against Hungary and Romania, as a military buffer against the advancing Soviet army. However not even anti-fascist blocs were unified. Soviet sympathizers openly stated how the Entente hadn’t defended Greece or held up their end of the Balkan Alliance, and that France and Britain wouldn’t defend Yugoslavia from an Italian or German invasion. The British intervention in Greece, giving Yugoslav chorded guards contact with British troops had, however, allowed the pro-Entente bloc more authority, convinced Yugoslav war planning to take an anti-Italian stance. Yugoslav entered mobilization against the Italian border, however the civilian government refused to enter into a conflict that had not directly involved Yugoslavia. And as such, the Yugoslavs would stand guard, reminding Mussolini that world eyes were firmly on him.
Sorry for the long delay, managing life stress and trying to overcome writer’s block, but I’m gonna try to get some more posts out in a more reasonable time.
The Empires Strikes Back
While the East Meditteranean met significant geopolitical shifts, the Entente nations had finished their military preparations for their offensive, Flytrap-Lilypad. Despite losing nearly a third of their strength and most of their Anti-tank weaponry, as it had to be pulled to the East, Rheinkommand had refused to withdraw its forces to more defensible lines behind the Meuse and Ardennes. With the situation in Norway and Romania, the Germans had little to spare. And yet France and Britain consistently delayed their offensive for months until early spring. This was due to a mix of severe Entente pessimism about the offensive and clever German deception tactics that made Westkommand seem much larger. And thus, the Allies were securing the offensive with practical overkill. By the time it dawned on the Allied commands that the Germans had played them, their forces were gathered for a gargantuan offensive. Analyzation of the Siegfried line suggested a defensive line the Germans could retreat to if the front was weak, and Gamelin was anxious to break through this quick before a significant defense could be made. Gamelin hoped that bridgeheads could be made over the Rhine before the end of summer, and place the Allies in the race for Berlin. As such, the destruction of Rheinkommand was of the utmost importance in the operation, hoping that the Soviets could keep Germany pinned while France and Britain raced through Central Germany. Eventually, Flytrap-Lilypad evolved into Flytrap-Clover-Lilypad, the Belgians and Dutch having pooled enough divisions to orchestrate a simultaneous offensive.
(Map found from blank map thread online, IDK who made it, but credit to the map to them. And yes I know this is a modern low countries map, the Wadden Sea being much larger in the Netherlands)
Approximate plan of Flytrap-Clover-Lilypad (Red-Flytrap: British, Dutch) (Orange- Clover: Belgian, Dutch, Commonwealth) (Blue Lilypad: French, Luxembourgish)
When the operations were launched simultaneously, the German front merely ceased to exist. The French offensive was met with great success, the French armor cutting clean through, almost echoing the initial German advance, obliterating the singular division at Sedan, and flooding into Wallonia. Time was of the essence, and the French had every intention on high-fiving with the Belgians and routing the Germans out of Hainaut. once the Meuse was crossed, then it was off to the races. Surprised German soldiers, which had made earlier defenses, but nothing to stop the French attacks, fought fiercely in the Ardennes, with French troops once again caught in melee within the German trenches. However, this wasn't to last, as the thundering of thousands of artillery planes and a completely reinvigorated French air force effectively destroyed prolonged German offensives, and soon Rheinkommand was forced to cobble up defensive lines within Luxembourg. von Brauchwitsch, commander of Rheinkommand, arguably wasn't surprised. the Reich simply lacked the reserves to hold both fronts at once, and Westkommand hadn't seen any support in Norway and didn't expect Westkommand to take priority over the east. Air reserves were detached, but against the rebuilt RAF and FAF, Kesselring could only play a fighting retreat. But the worst had yet to come. With a significant bulge in Wallonia, assaults in Flanders and Brabant, and the Germans pushed from the gates of Brussels, a hasty retreat was ordered from Hainaut, but destroyed railroads and air attacks ended up in the destruction of 5 divisions. Soon the Germans were in total retreat to Limburg, attempting to cobble up defenses in front of Liege.
Further north, the British offensive was seeing great strides, liberating Amsterdam with great vigor. The Hague was the sight of a large scale between British and German troops, but eventually, the forces in Holland would have to retreat to avoid encirclement. The numerous divisions in Holland, however, were too slow, and the only evacuation route was through the Wadden sea to Friesland. Only a quarter of the German troops could cross over, however, as airpower had trapped the troops in Holland, who soon surrendered. Further south, breakthroughs pushing along the muddy terrain on the Belgian-Dutch border had resulted in the Germans stabilizing the line only outside Eindhoven. As German reinforcements now pooled in, the Entente forces had made significant strides and planned to give their forces some rest before launching a second operation to break through the Siegfried Line. What was great news, was that both the Belgian and Dutch governments had returned to the continent, a great triumph. While the Germans were able to cobble up a defensive line in impressive time, the Entente successes had destroyed the German position in the Benelux and completely threw them out of the Low Countries, with the Westwall now vulnerable, and Rheinkommand unable to guarantee the safety of the Cologne Plain. A future Entente offensive would come shortly.
The victory was the cause of massive celebration in the Allied camp, and soon the Entente nations were firmly convinced that Germany had snapped, and began drafting up plans to push further, into the heart of the Reich.
However things weren’t all celebratory in the Allied Camp, for, in the warm springtime of Vietnam, trouble was coming straight for them. Trouble, in the form of 18” batteries, under the Rising Sun.
(Map found from blank map thread online, IDK who made it, but credit to the map to them. And yes I know this is a modern low countries map, the Wadden Sea being much larger in the Netherlands)
Approximate plan of Flytrap-Clover-Lilypad (Red-Flytrap: British, Dutch) (Orange- Clover: Belgian, Dutch, Commonwealth) (Blue Lilypad: French, Luxembourgish
)When the operations were launched simultaneously, the German front merely ceased to exist. The French offensive was met with great success, the French armor cutting clean through, almost echoing the initial German advance, obliterating the singular division at Sedan, and flooding into Wallonia. Time was of the essence, and the French had every intention on high-fiving with the Belgians and routing the Germans out of Hainaut. once the Meuse was crossed, then it was off to the races. Surprised German soldiers, which had made earlier defenses, but nothing to stop the French attacks, fought fiercely in the Ardennes, with French troops once again caught in melee within the German trenches. However, this wasn't to last, as the thundering of thousands of artillery planes and a completely reinvigorated French air force effectively destroyed prolonged German offensives, and soon Rheinkommand was forced to cobble up defensive lines within Luxembourg. von Brauchwitsch, commander of Rheinkommand, arguably wasn't surprised. the Reich simply lacked the reserves to hold both fronts at once, and Westkommand hadn't seen any support in Norway and didn't expect Westkommand to take priority over the east. Air reserves were detached, but against the rebuilt RAF and FAF, Kesselring could only play a fighting retreat. But the worst had yet to come. With a significant bulge in Wallonia, assaults in Flanders and Brabant, and the Germans pushed from the gates of Brussels, a hasty retreat was ordered from Hainaut, but destroyed railroads and air attacks ended up in the destruction of 5 divisions. Soon the Germans were in total retreat to Limburg, attempting to cobble up defenses in front of Liege.
Further north, the British offensive was seeing great strides, liberating Amsterdam with great vigor. The Hague was the sight of a large scale between British and German troops, but eventually, the forces in Holland would have to retreat to avoid encirclement. The numerous divisions in Holland, however, were too slow, and the only evacuation route was through the Wadden sea to Friesland. Only a quarter of the German troops could cross over, however, as airpower had trapped the troops in Holland, who soon surrendered. Further south, breakthroughs pushing along the muddy terrain on the Belgian-Dutch border had resulted in the Germans stabilizing the line only outside Eindhoven. As German reinforcements now pooled in, the Entente forces had made significant strides and planned to give their forces some rest before launching a second operation to break through the Siegfried Line. What was great news, was that both the Belgian and Dutch governments had returned to the continent, a great triumph. While the Germans were able to cobble up a defensive line in impressive time, the Entente successes had destroyed the German position in the Benelux and completely threw them out of the Low Countries, with the Westwall now vulnerable, and Rheinkommand unable to guarantee the safety of the Cologne Plain. A future Entente offensive would come shortly.
The victory was the cause of massive celebration in the Allied camp, and soon the Entente nations were firmly convinced that Germany had snapped, and began drafting up plans to push further, into the heart of the Reich.
However things weren’t all celebratory in the Allied Camp, for, in the warm springtime of Vietnam, trouble was coming straight for them. Trouble, in the form of 18” batteries, under the Rising Sun.
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Japanese command must be idiots to attack when Germany is about to lose and France is still in the war. Once Entente land forces take over the major German ports, the Entente can just send all of its naval forces to the Pacific.
That being said, if they didn't attack Pearl Harbor, then it is slightly less stupid than declaring war on three major powers with a large number of veteran soldiers, sailors, and airmen.
Still massively stupid, as they are knee deep in China, and the Soviets (at least once Germany is beaten enough) might take advantage too. So Japan might face four major countries (focused mostly on her) at once.
Moreover, why would Japan do that ? IOTL, the occupation of Indochina (following French defeat) triggered the cycle of US/Dutch/British embargoes and asset freezing measures that threatened to strangle entirely Japan. Japan knew it couldn't win against the US (let alone US + Allies) but hoped to force a favourable peace through initial victories. It was a desperate measure.
Here, this particular pattern of events haven't happened, and Japan has no reason to do that.
The Japanese maneuver against Indochina, ITTL, still occurs due to a number of reasons. In the next update I’ll explain it in detail but essentially, without Germany as near a threat, US foreign policy is almost solely focused against Japan I.e. Earlier and harsher sanctions on Japan, with Europe being a non issue outside of maybe Stalin rushing to Paris. As such, Japan is strapped on resources, it simply can’t afford to not make a maneuver. An earlier Soviet-Japanese non aggression also gives confidence. As for the Entente, the Japanese are going to attempt less on straight up militarily occupying and more strong arming, which will probably fail. This is more of a panic now-or-never operation, as FCL suggests Germany is on a timed life.
But yeah probably a poor play on Tokyo’s part, but not necessarily outside the realm of possibility
Japan's action makes little sense. Without bases in Indochina then Singapore is out of effective air range and an amphibious invasion of Malaysia is therefore pretty suicidal ( seas are too busy to sneak into position, unlike Pearl which could be approached via empty ocean ). Also got to add in leaving the US unattacked and sitting across across the rear of the combat area despite being hostile would defy all military logic . Sorry there's nuts and ASB nuts and you seem to be heading into the latter.
Factor in stronger opposition as France is still in the fight and since they are attacking in December as per OTL ( Yamato would not be commissioned otherwise ) the RN and MN would be already moving stuff to the Pacific ( Naval war in Europe being effectively over ). If they are going early then its minus 2 fleet carriers, the Yamato and lots of Zero's/Vals. Its feeling very forced.
Factor in stronger opposition as France is still in the fight and since they are attacking in December as per OTL ( Yamato would not be commissioned otherwise ) the RN and MN would be already moving stuff to the Pacific ( Naval war in Europe being effectively over ). If they are going early then its minus 2 fleet carriers, the Yamato and lots of Zero's/Vals. Its feeling very forced.
Don’t worry, I have something interesting planned for Japan. Not even the Japanese high command on amphetamines would launch a suicidal charge against the Entente like that, rather diplomacy and nautical dickslinging will take center stage in the upcoming crisis. Nevertheless, Japan’s gonna need a solution to it’s resource problem fast, and the Entente won’t let it’s foreign policy be dictated by a monarchical island nation embroiled in a significant land war.
Oh wait 😬
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East Asia, West Pacific. East Europe, West Asia
Hey guys! Sorry I haven't been able to post in a while (Over a month ), I had a lot of stuff I had to deal with, quarantine and all, but now I'm back, and that's all that's important.
While fighting raged in Europe, developments were occurring far to the east. The Second Sino-Japanese War was a horrific war, the failed experiment of Japanese military ambitions and perceived Kwoumintang weakness. Having regressed into a bloody standstill, the war seemed to echo more accurately the First World War, where the new European conflict did not. Both sides had taken a tremendous toll already. For the Chinese, the war had completely wrecked their nation. Casualties in the tens of millions, total blockade and foreign occupation had damaged China beyond repair. Entire cities lay burning, the Yangtze is the most surreal, and most violent examples of Japanese horror. Shanghai combat had waged for months on end, with brutality and perseverance astonishing the world on both sides. Suzhou lay a ghost town, Nanking shellshocked beyond comparison, and the Wuhan-Changsha area displaying valiance and carnage only described in mythical Camlann. The steady offensives of Japanese up the Yangtze, and more recently, up the Pearl had hit at the heart of the Chinese state, the Dragon of the East brought to its knees by the Rising Sun. Due to this, the Kwoumintang had to rely more and more on its smaller ally, the Chinese Communists, to garrison it's frontline and maintain order in the country.'
However, the Japanese weren't completely fine. Chiang Kai Shek had dug in his heels, and, ensnared between the Shanxi and Fujian mountains, their Yangtze offensive had been brought to a screeching halt in the fields of Changsha. The Japanese war economy had begun to slow, and increasing foreign sanctions had decayed the Japanese industry. Diplomatic and military defeats had bent Japanese to the Soviet foreign will, and the Pearl River offensive had done little to dissuade the adamant Kwoumintang. Worse, communist insurgencies in Jinan had placed Japanese control effectively to the river lines, and operations like the Hundred Regiment's offensive had drained reserves. The economic toll on the country had outweighed any gains from the war thus far. But hope still lingered on. A plan was devised by the Japanese high command, to collapse the southern front, and finally break the Hunan-Yangtze defense line the KMT so stubbornly held. The operative demands was a southern sickle maneuver up towards Hanoi, in a de facto invasion of French Indochina. By moving into North Indochina, the resource-rich rubber fields and other treasures would be available to the Japanese, as well as increasing the radial axis of the front line, and cutting off a major Chinese lifeline to the rest of the world. A perfect plan, with a number of problems. The main one being the neutrality of the French. Criticized by many in the command for being eerily similar to both German invasions of Belgium, the Japanese high command knew the Entente would not be persuaded as easily as a warlord or secondary power.
Worse still for their intentions, reports of the FCL offensive's astounding success, and the teetering weakness of the Polish state suggested the Axis was on a timed life. The Japanese understood a full-scale confrontation with the French would be disastrous, and that Paris would not budge to any forceful intervention. The Japanese would thus attempt to diplomatically coerce the French into simply letting them march through, while also presenting the situation as a fait de accompli. With the wavering support of the army, the operation was launched.
Using the main Japanese fleet to present arms to the French, the Japanese sent a series of deceptive messages to the Indochinese governor, stating that the French government had allowed the Japanese to arrive in North Vietnam. While the Japanese knew this plan would fail, the goal would be to cause confusion and deception within the Allied ranks all the way up until Japan had achieved its goal. Reporting directly to Paris for confirmation, the French prime minister Reynaud was bewildered by the report and contacted the Japanese embassy. When the Japanese ambassador informed the French government that he had not received any report on any issue in Indochina, Reynaud ordered Indochina to dig in its heels, directly contacting Tokyo, and ordering a swift general staff meeting of British and French advisors to assess the situation. the Japanese Prime Minister Fumimaro stated that the operation was "out of his control" and operated by a "rogue force", while also suggesting to open up talks on peacefully moving the army through French territory and allowing a supply chain to move through. Infuriated by what seemed to be the Japanese stalling and deception, Reynaud ordered the Pacific Fleet of France to mobilize, ready for action. Hours later, reports had it that Japanese armed forces had landed at Haiphong, and the French garrison had engaged the Japanese marines in the battle of Haiphong. After only a handful of days, the city was in Japanese hands. When reports arrived in London, the British made clear to the Prime Minister that the actions against the French would be grounds for war. With this in mind, Fumimaro suggested again, this time to both the French and British ambassadors, that a peaceful solution is made. The French ambassador retaliated, stating that no negotiation can take place until the Japanese had returned Haiphong and retreated their fleet from the Gulf of Tonkin. Fumimaro simply stated that he would relay this to the army, however, it would be unlikely that the Japanese will in hasty time abandon Haiphong.
As the days passed in the crisis, the British Raj was ordered to deploy the Burmese army to the Thai border, drawing up war plans to arrive in Northern Indochina. The British Pacific Fleet in Singapore understood it consisted of much smaller, weaker ships, however, Churchill promised two new carriers and a number of destroyers would arrive for the Royal Navy to work with, while the French Pacific Fleet moved out to sea, and deployed reserves from Hanoi to contain the Japanese marines at Haiphong. Despite Reynaud's infuriation, Reynaud understood that embroiling France in a new war may do more harm than good, however, he remained adamant that the Japanese abandon Haiphong before negotiations, and hoped for Japan to simply return the port city.
The Japanese high command simply fell aloof. Entente perseverance was higher than anticipated, and the Japanese quickly found themselves trapped in a diplomatic catch 22. And so they would keep rolling for the next two days, unsure of their next move.
While the "Tonkin Crisis" escalated, so too did the German disaster on the field. The Soviets had amassed a massive army since their Lublin offensive and were preparing their front-wide campaign to drive Ostkommand out of Poland, and set the scene for an invasion of Germany itself. With the reported success of the FCL offensive, the Soviet high command was eager to keep the pressure on the Reich, as Westkommand's incessant screeching for reinforcements was picked up by Allied intelligence, and basic inference suggested German reserves would be situated along the Rhine. And so, the Soviets designed their own operations, Phobos and Deimos, within the greater Ares Offensive. The "Phobos" thrust was to handle the Polish campaign, it's main goals being the recapture of Lithuania, crossing of the Vistula and vanquishing as much of Ostkommand as possible. In order to achieve this, offensive plans were made, directly south of Riga, to cross over into Courland, and another, around Vilnius, where Voroshilov and his men would encircle Baltkommand. Further south, offensives into Plock and East Prussia would cut off Baltkommand's line of retreat, and a series of strikes across the Vistula, centered around Warsaw, and a crossing towards Kielce. To finish off Phobos, a maneuver north of Premsyzl would be undertaken to cut off the line of retreat around Lwow.
Operation Deimos would be the Soviet planned assault on Romania, with the objective to be the annihilation of the Kingdom of Romania and opening into Hungary. To accomplish this, the Soviets would exploit established bridgeheads in Moldavia, drive into Bucharest and Walachia, capture the Oltenia oil fields, while also assaulting from Northern Transylvania and eliminate any Romanian resistance in the area, preventing any national redoubt in the forested region. And as spring turned to summer, the East would open up into its largest offensive yet.
During the war, the situation in the middle east remained murky. While Turkey remained neutral, it's position was much to question from all parties involved. In Palestine, Germany looked for possible openings of an Arab revolt, while the US opened relations with Saudi Arabia. This is where the situation of Iraq had to be brought into question. An Italo-German backed coup in Iraq had turned the government vehemently anti-British, and the British feared their economic assets in the region to be under threat. However, events in Iran would open new doors for Iraq, as tensions flares between the Shah of Iran and the British government, and Soviet expansionist ambitions eyed up the Iranian state, the Allied governments kept open the idea of pawning Iraq and Iran into their spheres, whether they wanted to, or not.
Once again, sorry for the long wait, I'm gonna try to get back into a more regular update schedule, and also make a map soon. I wanted to keep a lot of stuff open-ended for future updates, not too sure how events will take place just yet, or exactly what direction I should take this TL. I would love you all's opinions on what you think would happen!
), I had a lot of stuff I had to deal with, quarantine and all, but now I'm back, and that's all that's important.While fighting raged in Europe, developments were occurring far to the east. The Second Sino-Japanese War was a horrific war, the failed experiment of Japanese military ambitions and perceived Kwoumintang weakness. Having regressed into a bloody standstill, the war seemed to echo more accurately the First World War, where the new European conflict did not. Both sides had taken a tremendous toll already. For the Chinese, the war had completely wrecked their nation. Casualties in the tens of millions, total blockade and foreign occupation had damaged China beyond repair. Entire cities lay burning, the Yangtze is the most surreal, and most violent examples of Japanese horror. Shanghai combat had waged for months on end, with brutality and perseverance astonishing the world on both sides. Suzhou lay a ghost town, Nanking shellshocked beyond comparison, and the Wuhan-Changsha area displaying valiance and carnage only described in mythical Camlann. The steady offensives of Japanese up the Yangtze, and more recently, up the Pearl had hit at the heart of the Chinese state, the Dragon of the East brought to its knees by the Rising Sun. Due to this, the Kwoumintang had to rely more and more on its smaller ally, the Chinese Communists, to garrison it's frontline and maintain order in the country.'
However, the Japanese weren't completely fine. Chiang Kai Shek had dug in his heels, and, ensnared between the Shanxi and Fujian mountains, their Yangtze offensive had been brought to a screeching halt in the fields of Changsha. The Japanese war economy had begun to slow, and increasing foreign sanctions had decayed the Japanese industry. Diplomatic and military defeats had bent Japanese to the Soviet foreign will, and the Pearl River offensive had done little to dissuade the adamant Kwoumintang. Worse, communist insurgencies in Jinan had placed Japanese control effectively to the river lines, and operations like the Hundred Regiment's offensive had drained reserves. The economic toll on the country had outweighed any gains from the war thus far. But hope still lingered on. A plan was devised by the Japanese high command, to collapse the southern front, and finally break the Hunan-Yangtze defense line the KMT so stubbornly held. The operative demands was a southern sickle maneuver up towards Hanoi, in a de facto invasion of French Indochina. By moving into North Indochina, the resource-rich rubber fields and other treasures would be available to the Japanese, as well as increasing the radial axis of the front line, and cutting off a major Chinese lifeline to the rest of the world. A perfect plan, with a number of problems. The main one being the neutrality of the French. Criticized by many in the command for being eerily similar to both German invasions of Belgium, the Japanese high command knew the Entente would not be persuaded as easily as a warlord or secondary power.
Worse still for their intentions, reports of the FCL offensive's astounding success, and the teetering weakness of the Polish state suggested the Axis was on a timed life. The Japanese understood a full-scale confrontation with the French would be disastrous, and that Paris would not budge to any forceful intervention. The Japanese would thus attempt to diplomatically coerce the French into simply letting them march through, while also presenting the situation as a fait de accompli. With the wavering support of the army, the operation was launched.
Using the main Japanese fleet to present arms to the French, the Japanese sent a series of deceptive messages to the Indochinese governor, stating that the French government had allowed the Japanese to arrive in North Vietnam. While the Japanese knew this plan would fail, the goal would be to cause confusion and deception within the Allied ranks all the way up until Japan had achieved its goal. Reporting directly to Paris for confirmation, the French prime minister Reynaud was bewildered by the report and contacted the Japanese embassy. When the Japanese ambassador informed the French government that he had not received any report on any issue in Indochina, Reynaud ordered Indochina to dig in its heels, directly contacting Tokyo, and ordering a swift general staff meeting of British and French advisors to assess the situation. the Japanese Prime Minister Fumimaro stated that the operation was "out of his control" and operated by a "rogue force", while also suggesting to open up talks on peacefully moving the army through French territory and allowing a supply chain to move through. Infuriated by what seemed to be the Japanese stalling and deception, Reynaud ordered the Pacific Fleet of France to mobilize, ready for action. Hours later, reports had it that Japanese armed forces had landed at Haiphong, and the French garrison had engaged the Japanese marines in the battle of Haiphong. After only a handful of days, the city was in Japanese hands. When reports arrived in London, the British made clear to the Prime Minister that the actions against the French would be grounds for war. With this in mind, Fumimaro suggested again, this time to both the French and British ambassadors, that a peaceful solution is made. The French ambassador retaliated, stating that no negotiation can take place until the Japanese had returned Haiphong and retreated their fleet from the Gulf of Tonkin. Fumimaro simply stated that he would relay this to the army, however, it would be unlikely that the Japanese will in hasty time abandon Haiphong.
As the days passed in the crisis, the British Raj was ordered to deploy the Burmese army to the Thai border, drawing up war plans to arrive in Northern Indochina. The British Pacific Fleet in Singapore understood it consisted of much smaller, weaker ships, however, Churchill promised two new carriers and a number of destroyers would arrive for the Royal Navy to work with, while the French Pacific Fleet moved out to sea, and deployed reserves from Hanoi to contain the Japanese marines at Haiphong. Despite Reynaud's infuriation, Reynaud understood that embroiling France in a new war may do more harm than good, however, he remained adamant that the Japanese abandon Haiphong before negotiations, and hoped for Japan to simply return the port city.
The Japanese high command simply fell aloof. Entente perseverance was higher than anticipated, and the Japanese quickly found themselves trapped in a diplomatic catch 22. And so they would keep rolling for the next two days, unsure of their next move.
While the "Tonkin Crisis" escalated, so too did the German disaster on the field. The Soviets had amassed a massive army since their Lublin offensive and were preparing their front-wide campaign to drive Ostkommand out of Poland, and set the scene for an invasion of Germany itself. With the reported success of the FCL offensive, the Soviet high command was eager to keep the pressure on the Reich, as Westkommand's incessant screeching for reinforcements was picked up by Allied intelligence, and basic inference suggested German reserves would be situated along the Rhine. And so, the Soviets designed their own operations, Phobos and Deimos, within the greater Ares Offensive. The "Phobos" thrust was to handle the Polish campaign, it's main goals being the recapture of Lithuania, crossing of the Vistula and vanquishing as much of Ostkommand as possible. In order to achieve this, offensive plans were made, directly south of Riga, to cross over into Courland, and another, around Vilnius, where Voroshilov and his men would encircle Baltkommand. Further south, offensives into Plock and East Prussia would cut off Baltkommand's line of retreat, and a series of strikes across the Vistula, centered around Warsaw, and a crossing towards Kielce. To finish off Phobos, a maneuver north of Premsyzl would be undertaken to cut off the line of retreat around Lwow.
Operation Deimos would be the Soviet planned assault on Romania, with the objective to be the annihilation of the Kingdom of Romania and opening into Hungary. To accomplish this, the Soviets would exploit established bridgeheads in Moldavia, drive into Bucharest and Walachia, capture the Oltenia oil fields, while also assaulting from Northern Transylvania and eliminate any Romanian resistance in the area, preventing any national redoubt in the forested region. And as spring turned to summer, the East would open up into its largest offensive yet.
During the war, the situation in the middle east remained murky. While Turkey remained neutral, it's position was much to question from all parties involved. In Palestine, Germany looked for possible openings of an Arab revolt, while the US opened relations with Saudi Arabia. This is where the situation of Iraq had to be brought into question. An Italo-German backed coup in Iraq had turned the government vehemently anti-British, and the British feared their economic assets in the region to be under threat. However, events in Iran would open new doors for Iraq, as tensions flares between the Shah of Iran and the British government, and Soviet expansionist ambitions eyed up the Iranian state, the Allied governments kept open the idea of pawning Iraq and Iran into their spheres, whether they wanted to, or not.
Once again, sorry for the long wait, I'm gonna try to get back into a more regular update schedule, and also make a map soon. I wanted to keep a lot of stuff open-ended for future updates, not too sure how events will take place just yet, or exactly what direction I should take this TL. I would love you all's opinions on what you think would happen!
Operation Dynamo and the deletion of Centrekommand.
Yeah, umm, Let's just imagine I haven't been completely sidetracked from working on the TL, thus quintupling the estimated time it would take between updates Now, where were we.
After Royal Marines landed in Saigon to reinforce the French around Haiphong, Japan folded. Backpedalling out of Indochina against intense US and Entente sanctions, the Japanese folded only a couple days into the venture. Soviet troops had been arriving into Mongolia in force, with Stalin announcing his full support for the French and Chinese. Terrified of Soviet provocation, the Army successfully lobbied to move assets northward, and the Marines were called back, with the Japanese quickly apologizing. While the Tonkin Crisis had been resolved, the Entente had shifted massive amounts of naval assets to the Far East, leaving a slightly better position for the Kriegsmarine.
Back in Europe, the Red Army launched it's Ares Offensive. Crashing against Baltkommand, the Latvian Red Army swept Courland, while Lithuania would see action culminate in the decisive battle of Kaunas, as Baltkommand organized its reserves to launch a major counterattack. Against all odds, Baltkommand forces stalled the Red Army assault for nearly two days, buying time for a retreat from the Courland position. Hitler had ordered the retreat from Courland after significant lobbying exhausted Baltkommand forces. A quick defensive line would be formed around East Prussia, to hold the province and possibly lead for a counterattack after the Red Army had exhausted its reserves. After only 5 days of combat, forces of the 3rd Belarussian Army would break the siege of Liepaja, which had lasted for nearly nine months. As Baltkommand withdrew, large amounts of heavy equipment would be abandoned, and Memel would fall on the 20th of May.
While Baltkommand had successfully withdrawn its forces into East Prussia, Centrekommand did not enjoy the same luxury. Manstein had earlier drafted up plans for a large scale offensive, designed to pin the Red Army to the Pripyat Marshes, and wipe out over 100 Soviet divisions, alleviating the pressure on the East. However, the collapse of Rheinkommand had pulled nearly all armor and air reserves west to prevent an invasion of the Westphalian Complex. The assault against Centrekommand came only minutes after the reports of the attack in the North, with the Soviets slamming on all sides against the German forces east of the Vistula, the forces were quickly liquidated and Soviet armor battalions had crossed the Vistula only 2 days into the offensive. Moving from Sandomierz and driving North, Polish collaborator battalions ordered to stop the Soviet advance fled and raced towards Warsaw. Within hours, the Soviets had expanded the bridgeheads and cut deep swathes into the Polish State. By the end of the month, Konev would have 60 divisions west of the Vistula. Manstein hastily draws up a battle plan. Hoping that Baltkommand would simply be able to hold Prussia, Manstein withdraws what remains of his divisions in Plock south of the Vistula, hoping to maneuver east of Konev's army, hoping to launch a counterattack and cut the Red Army off west of the Vistula, joining with Sudkommand in a counterattack. But Hitler orders Manstein to withdraw directly south, to defend Warsaw. Upon reading the order, Manstein reportedly groaned in frustration. Hitler was sending him and his army to be encircled, stating that new SS battalions are being raised to defend Poznan and Silesia, that Baltkommand would extend the line and hold Plock. Furious, Manstein left his post along with a number of Wehrmacht officials, leaving SS commander Karl Wildenbruch in charge of the remnants of Centrekommmand and left for Berlin.
In the south, the Red Army under Vatutin struck from Przemsyl to Tarnow, breaking the German defensive line and splitting the railway line to Sudkommand. After that, Vatutin would follow up with a large-scale offensive against the German forces in East Galicia. Friedrich Paulus was able to dig in his forces, calling on the Slovakians to attempt to place a line against the assault. Despite their effort, Paulus would be forced to retreat to Carpathian Ruthenia, barely holding on as the mix of German Slovakian, Hungarian, Romanian, and Polish forces fought desperately to prevent Vatutin from breaking into Hungary. In a matter of days, the Eastern Front was blown open, and Phobos had destroyed effective German resistance in Poland. Baltkommand hadn't the forces to hold Plock, and so Rokossovsky and Konev's armies would meet at Wloclawek, the Belarussian Red Army driving the Heer out of the right bank of the Vistula. Around 80,000 combatants would be captured in Warsaw, a similar number to Liepaja. Just as Phobos had seemed to be over, Rokossovsky noted a serious gap in the Wehrmacht lines along the Vistula River, and launched the Transvistula Offensive, arriving in Gdansk only a couple of days after Easter. It was an astounding victory. Centrekommand was obliterated and encircled, Baltkommand trapped in the East Prussia region, and Sudkommand barely holding onto the gates of Hungary.
Just as Phobos was beginning to end, Operation Deimos was launched, with Zhukov engaging the Romanian line with a million-shell artillery bombardment against Iasi, encircling and destroying the Romanian force. Romanian resistance fell short, with Soviet forces racing across Ploesti, and the Iron Guard divisions retreating into Translyvania. Even the Hungarian divisions had begun to seize Romanian territory to annex Szekeyland. In response, King Carol II abdicated, and Romania surrendered two hours later, with Russian forces closing in on Bucharest. Romania was quickly reorganized into a pro-Soviet ally. Mobilizing its army against Hungary, the scene was set for the Soviet invasion of the Danubian basin.
Map of the frontline, April 15th, 1941.
As the East fell, the Northern Front became a liability. Soaking up significant numbers of men and material, the region had to be garrisoned and covered by air supremacy. To rebuild an Eastern Army, the forces of Nordkommand would have to be extracted from Norway. The overland route to Copenhagen from Sweden was rejected by the Swedish government, who had swung vehemently pro-Entente. Worse still, reports of a potential British invasion of Bergen and Stavanger along with a new Norwegian offensive hastened plans to evacuate the area. Operation Dynamo was drafted up, involving the use of the entire Kriegsmarine, on a scale similar to the invasion of Norway less than a year prior. Scheduled for May, the German forces began moving in secret towards the ports of Stavanger and Oslo. The Kriegsmarine recognized that any evacuation could be intercepted, and so a solution was devised, to tie up and eliminate as much of the royal navy as possible. The movement of significant naval resources to the Mediterranean and Pacific left the North Sea calm, and the recalling of surface raiders back to Germany had made the Royal Navy feel complacent with the naval situation. And with this window of opportunity, the Kriegsmarine prepared to sail into the Denmark Strait, 15" guns at the ready.
Now, where were we.After Royal Marines landed in Saigon to reinforce the French around Haiphong, Japan folded. Backpedalling out of Indochina against intense US and Entente sanctions, the Japanese folded only a couple days into the venture. Soviet troops had been arriving into Mongolia in force, with Stalin announcing his full support for the French and Chinese. Terrified of Soviet provocation, the Army successfully lobbied to move assets northward, and the Marines were called back, with the Japanese quickly apologizing. While the Tonkin Crisis had been resolved, the Entente had shifted massive amounts of naval assets to the Far East, leaving a slightly better position for the Kriegsmarine.
Back in Europe, the Red Army launched it's Ares Offensive. Crashing against Baltkommand, the Latvian Red Army swept Courland, while Lithuania would see action culminate in the decisive battle of Kaunas, as Baltkommand organized its reserves to launch a major counterattack. Against all odds, Baltkommand forces stalled the Red Army assault for nearly two days, buying time for a retreat from the Courland position. Hitler had ordered the retreat from Courland after significant lobbying exhausted Baltkommand forces. A quick defensive line would be formed around East Prussia, to hold the province and possibly lead for a counterattack after the Red Army had exhausted its reserves. After only 5 days of combat, forces of the 3rd Belarussian Army would break the siege of Liepaja, which had lasted for nearly nine months. As Baltkommand withdrew, large amounts of heavy equipment would be abandoned, and Memel would fall on the 20th of May.
While Baltkommand had successfully withdrawn its forces into East Prussia, Centrekommand did not enjoy the same luxury. Manstein had earlier drafted up plans for a large scale offensive, designed to pin the Red Army to the Pripyat Marshes, and wipe out over 100 Soviet divisions, alleviating the pressure on the East. However, the collapse of Rheinkommand had pulled nearly all armor and air reserves west to prevent an invasion of the Westphalian Complex. The assault against Centrekommand came only minutes after the reports of the attack in the North, with the Soviets slamming on all sides against the German forces east of the Vistula, the forces were quickly liquidated and Soviet armor battalions had crossed the Vistula only 2 days into the offensive. Moving from Sandomierz and driving North, Polish collaborator battalions ordered to stop the Soviet advance fled and raced towards Warsaw. Within hours, the Soviets had expanded the bridgeheads and cut deep swathes into the Polish State. By the end of the month, Konev would have 60 divisions west of the Vistula. Manstein hastily draws up a battle plan. Hoping that Baltkommand would simply be able to hold Prussia, Manstein withdraws what remains of his divisions in Plock south of the Vistula, hoping to maneuver east of Konev's army, hoping to launch a counterattack and cut the Red Army off west of the Vistula, joining with Sudkommand in a counterattack. But Hitler orders Manstein to withdraw directly south, to defend Warsaw. Upon reading the order, Manstein reportedly groaned in frustration. Hitler was sending him and his army to be encircled, stating that new SS battalions are being raised to defend Poznan and Silesia, that Baltkommand would extend the line and hold Plock. Furious, Manstein left his post along with a number of Wehrmacht officials, leaving SS commander Karl Wildenbruch in charge of the remnants of Centrekommmand and left for Berlin.
In the south, the Red Army under Vatutin struck from Przemsyl to Tarnow, breaking the German defensive line and splitting the railway line to Sudkommand. After that, Vatutin would follow up with a large-scale offensive against the German forces in East Galicia. Friedrich Paulus was able to dig in his forces, calling on the Slovakians to attempt to place a line against the assault. Despite their effort, Paulus would be forced to retreat to Carpathian Ruthenia, barely holding on as the mix of German Slovakian, Hungarian, Romanian, and Polish forces fought desperately to prevent Vatutin from breaking into Hungary. In a matter of days, the Eastern Front was blown open, and Phobos had destroyed effective German resistance in Poland. Baltkommand hadn't the forces to hold Plock, and so Rokossovsky and Konev's armies would meet at Wloclawek, the Belarussian Red Army driving the Heer out of the right bank of the Vistula. Around 80,000 combatants would be captured in Warsaw, a similar number to Liepaja. Just as Phobos had seemed to be over, Rokossovsky noted a serious gap in the Wehrmacht lines along the Vistula River, and launched the Transvistula Offensive, arriving in Gdansk only a couple of days after Easter. It was an astounding victory. Centrekommand was obliterated and encircled, Baltkommand trapped in the East Prussia region, and Sudkommand barely holding onto the gates of Hungary.
Just as Phobos was beginning to end, Operation Deimos was launched, with Zhukov engaging the Romanian line with a million-shell artillery bombardment against Iasi, encircling and destroying the Romanian force. Romanian resistance fell short, with Soviet forces racing across Ploesti, and the Iron Guard divisions retreating into Translyvania. Even the Hungarian divisions had begun to seize Romanian territory to annex Szekeyland. In response, King Carol II abdicated, and Romania surrendered two hours later, with Russian forces closing in on Bucharest. Romania was quickly reorganized into a pro-Soviet ally. Mobilizing its army against Hungary, the scene was set for the Soviet invasion of the Danubian basin.
Map of the frontline, April 15th, 1941.
As the East fell, the Northern Front became a liability. Soaking up significant numbers of men and material, the region had to be garrisoned and covered by air supremacy. To rebuild an Eastern Army, the forces of Nordkommand would have to be extracted from Norway. The overland route to Copenhagen from Sweden was rejected by the Swedish government, who had swung vehemently pro-Entente. Worse still, reports of a potential British invasion of Bergen and Stavanger along with a new Norwegian offensive hastened plans to evacuate the area. Operation Dynamo was drafted up, involving the use of the entire Kriegsmarine, on a scale similar to the invasion of Norway less than a year prior. Scheduled for May, the German forces began moving in secret towards the ports of Stavanger and Oslo. The Kriegsmarine recognized that any evacuation could be intercepted, and so a solution was devised, to tie up and eliminate as much of the royal navy as possible. The movement of significant naval resources to the Mediterranean and Pacific left the North Sea calm, and the recalling of surface raiders back to Germany had made the Royal Navy feel complacent with the naval situation. And with this window of opportunity, the Kriegsmarine prepared to sail into the Denmark Strait, 15" guns at the ready.
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Stalin, with his invasion, might have helped the Nazi bloc to survive a little longer.
For starters, Nazi prestige was likely destroyed by failures and defeats in the West (and wasn't that great IOTL before Fall of France). And if it had been a war with Britain/France only, it would possibly have led to the Nazis being toppled by the Wehrmacht to force a peace with honor (like "We evacuate Poland but keep Czechia at least" or something). The war with the Soviets likely renewed loyalty of the military and population to the Führer, as it's about stopping a Russian invasion, not conquest.
Also, Nazi satellites like Hungary, Romania and Slovakia might have turned coat without the threat of Soviet conquest.
For starters, Nazi prestige was likely destroyed by failures and defeats in the West (and wasn't that great IOTL before Fall of France). And if it had been a war with Britain/France only, it would possibly have led to the Nazis being toppled by the Wehrmacht to force a peace with honor (like "We evacuate Poland but keep Czechia at least" or something). The war with the Soviets likely renewed loyalty of the military and population to the Führer, as it's about stopping a Russian invasion, not conquest.
Also, Nazi satellites like Hungary, Romania and Slovakia might have turned coat without the threat of Soviet conquest.
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